Alternative resolutions for 2013

Wednesday

Jan 2, 2013 at 10:34 AMJan 2, 2013 at 10:34 AM

Soon the Christmas decorations will be packed away and the special moments tucked into the memory banks.It’s time to let go of the holidays, even though I wish they could go on and on — kind of like the leftovers.With each new year comes the time to resolve to make it the best ever. Unfortunately, a Mexican proverb sums up resolutions in a nutshell: “A good resolution is like an old horse, which is often saddled, but rarely ridden.”Nevertheless, the beginning of the year is a great time to get our lives in order — or at least “resolve” to do it.Each year, for example, I resolve to lose weight, fight clutter and become even more thoughtful than the year before.It’s funny that most resolutions made have to do with dieting.One thing I’ve resolved is that New Year’s resolutions are somewhat of a delusional philosophy that relies on magical thinking rather than a realistic plan of action. People who announce, after stuffing themselves full of holiday meals, that they are going on a diet in 2013 are kidding themselves. Somehow, merely stating a plan of action seems to convince many people that such a plan will emerge as a lifestyle choice.Instead of empty words, why not use a psychologically-based technique of examining personal myths and coming to grips with why they exist? New York diet guru Stuart Fischer, MD, author of The Park Avenue Diet, has some simple steps to changing patterns permanently:• Seek the causes of bad patterns. Don’t just say “I am going to lose weight.” Figure out what errors in thinking have led you to make incorrect food choices: “I deserve extra dessert at the end of a difficult day.” “I need extra calories due to the stress of the recession.” “I’m not dating, so it doesn’t matter if I’m fat.” “I feel OK even if I’m overweight; there’s no way I’ve got diabetes.”• Choose to replace your old ways with better behaviors. Determine a more rational and healthy approach to life and to food. Exercising never hurts, so developing a routine is key.• Avoid New Year’s resolutions altogether. A New Year’s resolution is a half-hearted attempt to acknowledge personal problems.Why bother if the success rate is so low?Fischer suggests you’ll do much better by developing a new image, expanding your social circle, reevaluating your priorities — while simultaneously looking better.He says you can’t pick one component of image — weight, for example — and only correct that piece of the puzzle. This unrealistic technique fails 95 percent of the time, even with the help of the monolithic diet books that have flooded (and failed) the American public for 40 years.In difficult economic times, bodily health and interpersonal skills are more important than ever.Humm... a diet that addresses all of life’s issues — now that’s something to think about.But by the time all the Christmas leftovers are gone, any thought of resolutions fade away. Maybe that’s why resolutions don’t really work.Maybe all that’s needed are some alternative tactics like the ones presented by Fischer.But the sugar plum fairies are still dancing in my head. Perhaps next year I’ll feel more like making resolutions.For now, I resolve to think about that leftover pudding in the fridge calling my name!Nancy Hastings is a staff writer for the Hillsdale Daily News. She can be contacted at nancy.hastings@hillsdale.net.